


The Walking Cie'th

by aporia



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-01
Updated: 2013-03-01
Packaged: 2017-12-03 23:01:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aporia/pseuds/aporia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flight + Zombie apocalypse. - Fill from FLight February</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Walking Cie'th

Lightning watched from afar as Fang checked Vanille's injuries apprehensively, looking for   
any scratch signs. Their fences had hours earlier proved what they had known all along, that   
it would have been just a matter of time before their defenses crumbled before a larger   
horde.

They were going to have to move again, and Lightning wasn't sure where else she could   
summon the will to go on from. Ever since she had lost Serah a few months ago, the only   
thing that kept she going was Fang. The brunette gave her hope that she could someday   
build a home again, after they had figured this all out. If only they found somewhere like an   
island far away, out of the reach of the walkers, where they could start anew and make   
Serah's death not be in vain. Her memory wouldn't be forgotten.

Serah would have wanted her to be happy and Lightning was fighting, really fighting to   
make her sister's dying wish come true.

Her sharp instinct of awareness kicked in right in time for her to single-handedly draw her   
crossbow and aim for an unnoticed walker, silently crawling behind the spot where Fang   
attended to Vanille, as Vanille jumped at someone's voice.

"Fang! Behind y--" Sazh yelled as Lightning's arrow took the walker down. "Hum, yeah, I   
saw that coming, I was just gonna act. I was this close. But Light beat me. Congrats,   
Light."

Although scared, Vanille laughed nervously as Fang gave her a protective hug, checking   
around to make sure there were no more walkers where that one had come from.

"Thank you, Lightning." Fang finally looked at her and nodded.

"Don't mention it." She raised abruptly, sheathing her weapon. "We have to move. It's not   
safe to spend the night here." 

Everyone was exhausted after the attack both physically and mentally. Hope looked like he   
would pass out any moment, having taken on more walkers that Lightning gave him credit   
for that night. Vanille's face was swollen red from crying, she had been so scared. Even   
Snow and Sazh didn't seem to be in their best shape. 

"Let's set what's left up, we have to go." Lightning pressed. She about to turn around and   
head to one of the group's car when Fang's tired voice stopped her.

"It's no use. If we do leave now it'll only make things worse. Just look at us."

Fang looked at Vanille as she spoke. It was a tender gaze, one that made Lightning feel   
empty inside. It was the same protective and loving way Lightning used to look at Serah   
when she was still alive, and seeing what Fang still had reminded her of how much she had   
lost.

"I'll stand guard until dawn. You guys should get some rest. And stop looking at me like   
that, Vanille."

Vanille argued that Fang needed to sleep as well. Even though Fang was clearly the only one   
in the group who seemed ready for another fight, it was to be expected that she would be   
protective of her sister.

"Shush, it's okay." Fang held her close, trying to stop Vanille from panicking again. "It's only   
a few hours 'till-"

"Cut it, Fang." Lightning interrupted, dryly. She didn't mean to, but everything that reminded   
her that Serah wasn't around anymore made her bulky.

That really startled her. Fang knew exactly what Lightning was going through. Ever since   
she had lost Serah she grew distant not only from the group, but from herself. Lightning   
wouldn't talk to her same way she did before, and whenever Fang was attending to her   
sister, the look in Lightning's eyes was distinctively bitter.

It was obvious what crossed her mind.

"Do what she says, I'll take the first turn." Lightning didn't wait for an answer, she just left,   
searching for a higher ground, where she could watch a larger range of the area.

She would be fine. She knew the others would be hurt if something happened to her, but   
there was nobody actually depending on her anymore, like Vanille depended on Fang. 

Slaying the few walkers she encountered, Lightning took a few minutes circling the area,   
doing what was possible to secure their poorly mended fences as best as she could. She   
strengthened her friends' sleeping place before going back to her guarding spot, where she   
could make sure they wouldn't have to deal with another situation for the night. 

A silhouette outlined in the dark was what she found sitting on a corner. Fang was awake,   
staing at the others' sleeping figures thoughtfully.

"You should be sleeping." Lightning's voice was low as she sat beside Fang. "Vanille needs   
you."

Fang didn't answer right away. Instead she approached her, spreading her arm softly around   
Lightning.

"You have to stop it, Light." She finally said. The worry in her voice took Lightning by   
surprise, and she didn't like the way that made her feel. She wasn't weak and she certainly   
wasn't about to break. There was no need for anyone to want to take care of her.

"I don't know if you're blaming yourself for everything that's happened, or if you're still   
mourning Serah. But you have to stop letting that get to you like this."

"I'm not."

"Light..." She was about to argue, but Lightning squeezed her hand as if asking her to stop,   
to which Fang complied.

They remained in silence for a few minutes carefully watching over the others and always   
aware of their surroundings.

"There's still me, Light. I need you too." Fang whispered after a while, apparently words   
carefully, but Lightning knew by her look that it wasn't just to make her feel better. "And   
not just for your amazing walker-slaying skills, y'know."

Caught in the moment, Fang smiled at her, briefly too drawing in Lightning's own eyes to   
realize a silent approaching walker.

Lightning spoiled their moment, drawing her knife and swiftly burrying it into its eye.

She smiled like she hadn't for a long time. 

"... But for that too, right?"


End file.
